Amongst other things Martin has been an Army officer between 1959 and 1972, a freelance archaeologist between 1972 and 1975, the creator and director of the Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit between 1975 and 1986, the director of Sutton Hoo Research Project between 1983 and 2005and professor of archaeology at University of York between 1986 and 2008.

Martin is particularly interested in this project as he is one of the few remaining chief researchers of the Sutton Hoo site and has written several books on the subject:

Sutton Hoo Burial Ground of Kings? (British Museum 1998-2014)

Sutton Hoo. A seventh century princely burial ground and its context (British Museum 2005)

Sutton Hoo. Encounters with Early England (Boydell 2017)

His first attempt to create a reconstruction of the Mound 1 ship was in 1984, followed by others notably in 2002 when the Sutton Hoo visitor centre was created.

Although instrumental in many projects Martin has never been involved in anything quite like the Anglo-Ship reconstruction. He has some experience of public engagement at the Sutton Hoo centre where he created the Sutton Hoo Society in 1984, he was also instrumental in getting the site into the ownership of the National Trust in 1999 and has remained at their service ever since.

Between 1986 and 1990 Martin edited and presented four TV feature films on Sutton Hoo for BBC’s Chronicle,

Martin is a member of the Society of Antiquaries of London, the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, the International Society of Anglo-Saxonists and the Society for Medieval Archaeology.

When asked what his expectation’s are of this project Martin ca be quoted as saying, “My expectation is that the ship will be built at Woodbridge, that it will float, that it will be seaworthy, that it will perform in an interesting way and add greatly to our knowledge of early England as a seafaring nation, and that the appreciation by the public of the achievements of early English mariners will be enlarged and enhanced. My own aims are to help wherever I can”.

For more information about Martin Carver visit his website www.martincarver.com